GRACE BIBLE CHURCH
07-17-2022
PASTOR ROBERT R. MCLAUGHLIN
PDF: GBC07172022NOTES
Christian Soldier 87, Doctrine Of The Rapture, 15.
Point 14. The Rapture and the Silence of God.
The very first event that takes place after the Rapture is the ½ hour of silence as we will be so much in awe by our Lord’s presence that we will literally speechless.
Not only will we be silent but even God and the elect angels will be silent.
God is silent because of the angelic conflict and the historical trial of Satan and all of the fallen angels.
In fact, I have chosen a book that really describes the silence of God as well as the silence of man and that is the book of JOB.
In the book of JOB, we will see that:
Satan is cross-examining Job and while he is doing so, God is completely silent, He does not interrupt the cross examination which in Job’s case was evidence testing.
(Explain)
And…..
When we get to the opinion of the divine Judge and Job passes the test, you will note that Satan has been silenced by the fantastic life of Job.
Silence is golden.
ECC 3:7 A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
There was a song called “Silence is golden” and here are some of the lyrics why silence is golden.
I changed a few words for accuracy concerning our subject.
Oh, don't it hurt deep inside
To see someone do something to her?
Oh, don't it pain to see someone cry?
Oh, especially when someone is her.
Silence is golden
But my eyes still see
Silence is golden, golden
But my eyes still see
Talking is cheap, people follow like sheep
Even though there is nowhere to go
How could others deceived them so well?
Pity well be the last one to know.
Now, Job was one of the greatest witnesses for the prosecution in all of the Old Testament!
And along with Noah and Daniel, Job is one of the greatest all-time believers who passes evidence testing!
Great souls suffer in silence.
The best answer to anger is silence.
In fact, look at this passage concerning the reputation of Job.
EZE 14:12 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,
EZE 14:13 "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man and beast,
This is divine discipline from the different cycles of discipline which they appear to be in the fourth or fifth cycle meaning they are about to be destroyed as a nation.
Then look at EZE 14:14 concerning the reputation of Job,
EZE 14:14 even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves, "declares the Lord God.
This means that…..
When a nation is being destroyed, winner believers will be spared by delivering themselves and their loved ones through blessing because of association; MAT 5:13-14.
EZE 14:15 "If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,
Then again, notice God’s evaluation of Job;
EZE 14:16 though these three men [Noah, Daniel and Job] were in its midst, as I live, "declares the Lord God," they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.
EZE 14:17 "Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,'
EZE 14:18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live, "declares the Lord God," they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
EZE 14:19 "Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it, to cut off man and beast from it,
EZE 14:20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live, "declares the Lord God," they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. "
The reason why I showed you this passage is to see God’s opinion of this man we are about to study whose name is Job and…..
Right now Satan is cross-examining Job and he is using three self-righteous legalistic arrogant little born again pip-squeaks to do so!
Satan's plan is to put so much pressure on Job from his friends that Job will curse them and then do what is first wife wanted him to do, curse God and die!
In Job's case God is not saying anything for the moment because Satan must be permitted to cross examine Job in the historical trial of the angelic conflict.
This is the silence of God where God cannot speak during cross examination!
The rules in the angelic conflict have already been given and Satan is following the rules, he is not taking Job's life but he can take anything else.
And God must remain silent and Job must do it on his own with the doctrine resident in his soul!
Prin-All undeserved suffering or suffering for blessing requires you to use the inventory of your doctrine, doctrine resident in your soul.
Not someone else's counsel!
Not someone else's encouragement!
You must do it on your own from the resources of doctrine in your soul!
Right now;
Job is having a little trouble with the silence of God.
He knows that he did nothing wrong to have this suffering.
He knows that all of these disasters that came to him did not come because of any personal sin or divine discipline.
Prin-There comes a time in the life of every believer when he must go it alone.
And you're going to have that experience from time to time to see if the doctrine is there.
Because God never lets you go it alone unless you've been exposed to the doctrine.
GAL 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
GAL 6:5 For each one shall bear his own load.
So, the issue is can you take the doctrine in your own soul and apply it to your situation.
Prin-Job needs to realize that the silence of God demands that he utilizes the inventory of his own doctrine resident in his own soul -- that's when believers become great.
Do you realize that we live in the dispensation of the silence of God?
We live in the dispensation called the Church-age where
God does not speak to anyone in any other dispensations.
Since the Canon of scripture was closed not one person has ever truly heard the voice of God.
God is silent when it comes to hearing His voice because
God now only speaks through His word!
And…..
What Job had as his testing is the very basis for making the Royal Family of God strong which is the doctrine resident in your soul!
And that is the greatest power in the world today.
Job fails to recognize that the silence of God is the greatest compliment to the doctrine resident in His soul.
The silence of God is a compliment to the mature believer!
God speaks through His word and the highest compliment ever given to the Royal Family is the silence of God as the believer uses the greatest power in the world, Bible doctrine.
This is when you can make personal application and throw away the crutches and stop depending on this person and that person for counseling.
When you have the doctrine in your own soul, you will stop depending on what other's think!
And sooner or later, if it hasn't happened already;
You are going to have to face the test of the silence of God.
And…..
When that test comes remember that it is a compliment, you have learned the doctrine and now it's just a matter of the proper application.
Always remember;
HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Faith is that which is needed during the silence of God.
Now, in the book of Job, there are four individuals that are involved in some way with the silence of God.
They are Job, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.
Look at JOB 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.
Notice they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him and that was the last thing they did.
In fact,
Job had a fourth friend who was doctrinal and was the one to come to sympathize with him and comfort him; JOB 32:1-3.
JOB 32:1 Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
JOB 32:2 But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned, because he justified himself before God.
JOB 32:3 And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
So, let’s notice the words of Eliphaz to Job back in JOB 22:15.
JOB 22:15 "Will you keep to the ancient path which wicked men have trod,
JOB 22:16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?
JOB 22:17 "They said to God, 'Depart from us!' And 'What can the Almighty do to them?'
JOB 22:18 "Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
What is Eliphaz saying in JOB 22:18, when he says "But the counsel of the wicked is far from me?"
He is saying in effect:
“Job you called us wicked but you're the wicked one.”
He is so petty,
But then again arrogant self-righteous legalistic pip-squeaks are petty!
And in verses 19 and 20 in this passage you will note that:
Eliphaz identifies himself as a righteous person rejoicing over the ruin of an unrighteous person.
This is a violation of what the apostle Paul said in 1CO 13:6.
1CO 13:6 Virtue-love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
Look at PRO 24:17-18.
PRO 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
PRO 24:18 Lest the Lord see it and be displeased, And He turn away His anger from him.
In other words, Eliphaz says;
Job, I agree with God, you deserve all of this, you are a sinful evil person and that's why all of these terrible things are happening to you.
So back in JOB 22:19 "The righteous see and are glad [I'm a righteous person says Eliphaz, I rejoice over your ruin], And the innocent mock them,
JOB 22:20 Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.'
All innocent people now rejoice over the fact that your wealth has been taken from you Job.
And in the "Zophar syndrome" Eliphaz now gives an altar call.
I don’t know how many of you have ever seen or experienced an altar call.
If there's anything more nauseating then an altar call, it's the stupid minister who gives it.
Of all of the idiotic things in the world, an altar call is the worst!
Ministers are always giving altar calls because they are superficial and they do not understand the word of God.
Prin-You cannot solve your problems by responding to an altar call.
And an altar call weakens people.
The person who walks down the aisle for something today will go down the aisle tomorrow for something else!
Prin-Rededication is not he Christian way of life!
You need to make daily decisions not rededicate yourself!
Altar calls weaken believers!
You must make your own decisions on the basis of Bible doctrine in the privacy of your own soul!
And,
An altar call is nothing more than a public display of arrogance and weakness.
Eliphaz has personally judged Job and made accusations against him just like Zophar did and now Eliphaz is given an altar call like brother Zophar did.
Listen to the altar call of Zophar beginning in JOB 11:13.
JOB 11:13 "If you would direct your heart right and spread out your hand to Him;
Zophar says in effect, "Devote your heart to Him, stretch out your hands to Him."
JOB 11:14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away and do not let wickedness dwell in your tents.
Zophar is probably shouting "Renounce the sins and the iniquities that stain your hands!"
"Give up sin".....that's an altar call!
“Give up drinking red wine – for it is the devil’s blood”!
“Give up drinking white wine -- for it is the devil’s urine!”
“Throw away those cigarettes on the altar” as you walk down the aisle!
“Tell God your sorry!”
In JOB 11:15 "Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect or really shame, And you would be steadfast and not fear.
Can't you just see the altar call;
"Lift up your face without shame to God."
"Turn your heart to Him!"
All of these are true examples of what is going on in thousands of churches is this nation and millions of churches through-out the world!
In JOB 11:16 "For you would forget your trouble, As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
Have you ever heard that,
"Forget all your troubles and come to Jesus and everything will be alright."
So, here is;
Zophar telling Job to come forward, to give up his sins and all of this suffering will stop.
You can't run down some aisle and give up some sin.
All you do is become a self-righteous arrogant person like Zophar.
However, remember that:
Sin is matter between you and God, not you and some pastor and the public, PSA 51:4.
PSA 51:4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge.
So, altar calls are a vicious thing!
They give individuals the impression that all you have to do is walk down and aisle and everything will be alright!
And, altar calls belong to the sick "Zophar" syndrome!
Notice what brother Zophar said again in JOB 11:16 "For you would forget your trouble just like waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
JOB 11:17 "And your life would be brighter than noonday; Darkness would be like the morning.
JOB 11:18 "Then you would trust, because there is hope; And you would look around and rest securely.
JOB 11:19 "You would lie down and none would disturb you, And many would entreat your favor.
This is the false promise of victory given in an altar call.
And while all of this is going on;
Job is silent toward his friends and God is silent toward Job.
The silence of God is always an answer from God in some way.
I always remember the first time I went to Yankee Stadium, that when I walked up the ramp and saw the stadium for the first time, I got all choked up with tears because I was so over-whelmed with what I saw.
In fact, I use to take friends and family members with me and when I had tears in my eyes, I became silent toward them.
I say that for this reason;
Can you imagine what it’s going to be like when we see our Lord face to face for the first time? REV 1:7; PHI 2:9-11.
That’s one of the messages found in our passage.
But, back to the altar call principle we hear things like;
Just come back to Jesus and everything will be alright and it's nothing but a lot of nonsense.
And altar calls also confuses the way of salvation.
How many times have you heard an altar call; "Come and invite Jesus into your heart”?
And that's not the way of salvation.
You don't invite anyone in your heart!
Why?
JER 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
How many times have you heard an altar call; "Come and invite Jesus into your LIFE"?
You don't invite TLJC into a desperately wicked home!
You believe on TLJC and there's a vast difference.
Inviting Christ into your life is not believing in Christ!
For ACT 16:31 says;
ACT 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and you and your household shall be saved!”
You don’t invite Christ in your life; ISA 1:5-6.
Turn to ISA 1:5.
ISA 1:5 Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick, And the whole heart is faint.
ISA 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil.
The point is that these altar calls are absolutely and totally destructive.
And thank God that people do finally get around to believing......somehow, someway!
And then at the end of Zophar's altar call in verse 20,
JOB 11:20 "But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And there will be no escape for them; And their hope is to breathe their last."
If you don't come forward you may breathe your last breath tomorrow....
You've heard it before;
2CO 6:2 "Behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is" the day of salvation."
"Come forward you may die tonight” etc. "
An altar call is an emotional, superficial, and often blasphemous thing.
An altar call is saying that God the Holy Spirit didn't do a good enough Job the first time so He's going to have to try it again.
And the only decisions that count are the decisions that you make on the basis of the word of God that you hear!
And there all kinds of these goofy things going on in Christianity!
This is why the pastor is told:
2TI 2:15 Study to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling "accurately" the word of truth.
Accuracy is the order of the day!
People say, well our church specializes in praise, we praise God.
However, Psa 119:7 says;
PSA 119:7 I shall give praise to Thee with integrity of heart when I learn your doctrines.
Did you ever wonder why details are given precisely and accurately as a part of the word of God?
Details are given precisely and accurately as a part of the word of God to reveal to us the importance of a right thing being done in a right way.
Heb 8:5 Just as Moses was "warned" by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "see," He says," that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
Notice that God "warned" Moses to do it right.
This is the importance of the accurate communication of the word of God!
The importance of accuracy and precision is also revealed in the accurate precise details and directions found in the Levitical offerings, the Feasts, the Holy Days, the New Moon, etc.
This is why Jeremiah warned the children of Israel in Jer 49:20 and Jer 50:45, Therefore hear the “plan" of the Lord !
However, just like in the days of Jeremiah when believers had developed hardness of the heart, so it is today and their attitude is the same as in Jeremiah's day.
JER 18:12 We are going to follow our own plans, and each one will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.
And in;
1KI 6:38 The house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans.
The temple was built with extreme accuracy and devotion.
Now,
Do you believe that it was important for accuracy to exist in the temple?
Of course, it was!
Well,
You are now the temple of the living God and it is extremely important that accuracy exists in you.
1CO 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If accuracy was the order of the day for the temple in the Old Testament, think of how much more it is for the temple in the New Testament, YOU!
In fact……
That's what the PPOG is all about, it is the lifestyle for the Royal Family utilizing divine power and functioning under accuracy and preciseness.
So, altar calls are blasphemous!
Now, back in JOB 22:21, brother Zophar says "Yield now brother and be at peace with Him; Thereby good and prosperity will come to you.
Every altar call promises you something that is absurd and foolish and doesn’t have the power to do so.
Now remember;
Eliphaz was a great theologian as we studied before in chapters 4 and 5, but he's also a self-righteous legalistic jack-ass who knows nothing about the silence of God!
The principle and never forget it, you can be a theologian and a jackass at the same time!
Think about it!
Every profession has individuals who know nothing about their profession but they get by because of a piece of paper called a diploma.
And notice I said any profession.
Well, he or she is a doctor so whatever they say believe!
Every profession has its villains!
So, in JOB 22:22 "Please (Job) receive instruction from His mouth
God is silent .....Eliphaz!
God is not talking to Job!
God cannot talk to Job until Satan has completed his cross-examination.
This is evidence testing and Eliphaz "you're talking to the greatest believer in the world at the time!"
So Eliphaz says JOB 22:22 "Please receive instruction from His mouth and establish His words in your heart.
Here Eliphaz is talking to the greatest believer alive….
For Job has received tragic, devastating, destructive suffering, and all of it was completely and totally undeserved
Here is this idiot, just like the Pharisees, telling him to accept instruction from God's mouth and lay up God's words in your heart!
And God's mouth is silent!!!
JOB 22:23 "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
JOB 22:24 And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
JOB 22:25 Then the Almighty will be your gold and choice silver to you.
In other words,
“You must still have some money hidden away somewhere Job, and if you just give it all to God then God will take care of you!
And believe it or not, there are suckers who fall for this type of thing every day!
"Give up everything to God and God will bless you!"
And what this boils down to is that
Those who are ignorant of doctrine are suckers for the phony pitches that come from the pulpits of legalism and emotionalism.
Just remember that it's nonsense and God's policy is no nonsense!
JOB 22:26 “For then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
Whatever that means......
JOB 22:27 “You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;
Job was a mature believer and his prayers were heard!
In fact, Eliphaz better hope that God hears Job's prayers because of what the Lord is going to say to Eliphaz in JOB 42:7.
JOB 42:7 "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has."
Three of them had no idea why God was silent toward Job.
JOB 42:8 "Therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your foolishness, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."
Job finally understood why God had been silent toward him.
Back in JOB 22:27 “You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.
What about vows?
What does the Bible say about vows?
Hold your place here and go forward to ECC 5.
ECC 5:1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
ECC 5:2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
ECC 5:3 For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.
ECC 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
ECC 5:5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
So back in JOB 22:27 "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.
JOB 22:28 "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways.
All of these phrases like;
JOB 22:21 "Yield now and be at peace with Him"
JOB 22:22 "establish His words in your heart"
JOB 22:23 "return to the Almighty"
JOB 22:26 "lift up your face to God"
JOB 22:27 "pay your vows"
JOB 22:28 "light will shine on your ways"
All of these phrases have absolutely no meaning apart from the directions, mechanics, and there are no mechanics in altar calls!
JOB 22:29 "When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence And the humble person He will save.
God will listen to you because you have come forward and got your heart right like mine is!
JOB 22:30 "He will deliver one who is not innocent and he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
All the guilty people will be delivered because of you!
In other words, join us Job, we are so clean that God uses us to change other people's lives.
Eliphaz has that ISA 65:5 attitude,
ISA 65:5 "They say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!"
So, he is saying join us Job, we are so clean that God uses us to change other people's lives!
Join our traveling medicine show and then you too can give altar calls!
And this is the last thing Eliphaz will say.
Now, Job is recognizing the need for God to straighten out his three friends.
In Job 23, we have Job's last reply to his friend Eliphaz who has come right out in lambasted Job.
JOB 23:1 Then Job replied,
JOB 23:2 "Even today my complaint is rebellion and His hand is upon me heavy despite my groaning.
JOB 23:3 "Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!
Remember that;
This is the silence of God where God cannot speak during the cross examination of Satan in the historical trial of Satan and all fallen angels.
The rules in the angelic conflict have already been given and Satan is following the rules.
He has not taken Job's life, but he can do anything else he desires!
And what he has desired to do is:
To put pressure on Job from three of Job's friends who were influenced totally by legalism and self-righteousness.
So, God must remain silent and Job must do it on his own with the doctrine resident in his soul!
Prin-All undeserved suffering requires you to use the inventory of your doctrine resident in your soul.
Not someone else's counsel!
Not someone else's encouragement!
You must do it on your own from the resources of doctrine in your soul!
GAL 6:5 For each one shall bear his own load.
LAM 3:27-28, "It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth [time of youthful vigor]. LAM 3:28 Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid {it} on him.
In GEN 32:24, it wasn't until Jacob was left alone with the Lord that his named was changed to Israel, a prince with God.
GEN 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
GEN 32:25 And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
GEN 32:26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
GEN 32:27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."
GEN 32:28 And he said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."
GEN 32:29 Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.
GEN 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved."
It was not until Jacob was left alone with the Lord that his named was changed to Israel, a prince with God.
We all need to have that experience of going through struggles in life alone with God.
It is part of becoming spiritually self-sustained.
In 2CH 32:31 God left Hezekiah alone to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
There are times when the silence of God is manifested by all the doors in your life being closed and then you must make your own decisions as God is silent toward you.
God is testing the doctrine that is in your own heart!
In fact,
In JOH 8:9, it wasn't until the woman caught in adultery was left alone with the Lord that she was set free.
JOH 8:9 And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst.
The Lord even had to go through this in JOH 16:32 when He said:
JOH 16:32 "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
So, right now Job is having a little trouble with the silence of God.
He knows that he did nothing wrong to have this suffering.
He knows that all of these disasters that came to him did not come because of any personal sin or divine discipline.
JOB says in JOB 23:4 "I would present my case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.
You see, I've been telling you that Job has been going in and out or up and down with his relationship with God.
And Job needs to be reminded of the fact that "God knows what's going on!"
Job has forgotten some of the principles of divine attributes and the essence of God rationale!
God knows what's going on and Job will hear from him at the right time.
For example,
God is sovereign and God will make sure that the believer is protected and not tested beyond what he is able to bear.
God is just and this means that God is fair; it is impossible for God to be unfair in the function of His justice.
God is wise, incorruptible, and perfect righteousness therefore, He is the perfect and fair judge, the one judge who has never rendered a wrong decision.
In all the trillions of decisions God has rendered, not one has ever been unfair or incorrect.
It is impossible for perfect God to render a bad decision as judge.
Another part of God's essence which the believer needs to recall during undeserved suffering is the omnipresence of God.
God fills space and time with his presence, sustains it, and gives it purpose and value.
God is ever present.
The omnipresence of God guarantees us that He will fulfill His promises!
Such as:
MAT 28:20b I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Or
Heb 13:5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,"
1SA 12:22 "For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name,
Another part of God's essence which applies to undeserved suffering is the omniscience or knowledge of God.
There never was a time in all of eternity past when God did not know everything about you:
Every thought you would ever have, every motive that would be formed from those thoughts, every decision you would make from thought or lack of thought (which is impulsive), and every action which results.
There never was a time and never will be a time when you will have a thought, motive, or make a decision or do something asinine that God did not know about billions and billions of years ago.
Because He is immutable, God has never changed; and God's knowledge has never changed God!
God is aware of all the changes in creatures but that doesn't change Him.
For example, in:
MAL 3:6 "For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
There never was a time when God did not know everything.
And that means every sin that you would ever commit after the day of your salvation.
God knows everything about you that is knowable, every thought you've ever had, your every decision, motive, and action; the same is true of billions and billions of creatures.
Time has nothing to do with God's knowledge and therefore, the future is as well known to Him as the past.
Another part of God's essence which applies to undeserved suffering is the omnipotence of God.
The term "omnipotence" is used to describe the unlimited power of God.
This emphasizes the doctrinal fact that God is always in control.
God has never lost control in all of human history or in prehistoric times during the angelic conflict.
God has invented free will in man, so that man can go negative or positive to God.
And…….
From his negative volition, man can be out of control; but God is still in control of everything.
Why?
Because of…….
1PE 1:5 "We are guarded by the power of God through faith for a deliverance, ready to be revealed in the last time."
1SA 2:9 "He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail.
Divine omnipotence is related to both the promises and the actions of God.
ISA 43:13 "Even from eternity, I am He, and there is no one who can deliver you out of My hand. I act, and who can reverse it?"
Another part of God's essence which applies to the doctrine of eternal security is the faithfulness of God.
The faithfulness of God is an anthropopathism, which is a human characteristic ascribed to God in the Bible as the basis for confidence in who and what God is.
God is faithful in rebound, 1Jo 1:9, "if we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
God's faithfulness means there are no exceptions; no sin is too bad or heinous or evil.
God always does exactly the same thing on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
We are daily sustained and supported by the faithfulness of God, regardless of whether we are carnal or spiritual, winners or losers.
God is faithful to all believers in logistical support.
1Th 5:24, "Faithful is He Who calls you, Who will also do [provide] it."
God's faithfulness to the reversionistic believer is the subject of 2Ti 2:13, "if we are faithless, He remains faithful; he cannot deny himself."
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit indwell every believer.
No member of the Trinity can deny Himself or another member of the Trinity.
You can renounce your salvation and enter into any kind of blasphemy you want to.
But the first time you believed in Christ, God gave you forty things; you do not have the power to cancel them and neither does God.
God's faithfulness is stated in relationship to the prehistoric angelic conflict,
2TH 3:3 "But the Lord keeps on being faithful; He will support and guard you from the evil one."
There are many ways in which we are protected, of which we are not even aware.
There are many dangers around us as believers due to invisible demons.
We cannot be demon possessed, but demon influence comes from false doctrine entering our frontal lobes.
Nevertheless,
The Lord keeps on being faithful, and He supports and guards both the loser and the winner from the evil one.
These verses on the faithfulness of God are a reminder to you that regardless of how you fail or succeed, whether you are a winner or a loser, God is always faithful to you, no matter what.
He cannot be faithless; it is contrary to His essence.
Now,
Job is a mature believer and a mature believer knows all of those principles I just gave you concerning the essence of God.
God knows what's going on and Job will hear from him at the right time.
Just like God knows exactly what's going on in your life so you don't have to complain to Him or to others!
Prin-There comes a time in the life of every believer when he must go it alone!
And you're going to have that experience from time to time to see if the doctrine is there.
God never lets you go it alone unless you've been exposed to the doctrine.
So, the issue is can you take the doctrine in your own soul and apply it to your situation.
Again beginning in JOB 23:1 again Then Job replied,
JOB 23:2 "Even today my complaint is rebellion and His hand is upon me heavy despite my groaning.
JOB 23:3 "Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!
JOB 23:4 "I would present my case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.
JOB 23:5 "I would learn the words which He would answer, And perceive what He would say to me.
JOB 23:6 "Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me.
You see, Job says:
"No, the Lord would not contend with me by the greatness of His power because I've done nothing wrong!
Note, once again that:
Job maintains to the very end the fact that he has not sinned and he is not in some system of evil!
JOB 23:7 "There the upright would reason with Him and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
JOB 23:8 "Behold, I go forward but He is not there and backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
Why?
Because God is silent....the silence of God!
JOB 23:9 When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
Notice please that Job was confident that if he could just present his case that God would declare him innocent!
What Job does not understand is this problem of the silence of God which is a part of evidence testing.
For the silence of God is simply God’s response to the cross-examination of Job by Satan.
For example, in 2CO 12:7, Paul's thorn in the flesh was a pain in the neck, something aggravating enough to bother him.
God permitted a fallen angel of great ability to penetrate the wall of fire around Paul to bother him.
2CO 12:7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me‑‑ to keep me from exalting myself!
Notice it was a messenger or an angel from Satan!
2CO 12:8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
2CO 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Paul prayed for it to be removed, but his prayer was wrong.
Instead, God said, "No!
My grace is sufficient for you!"
In other words, this is not a matter for prayer.
However, Paul was persistent in praying this erroneous prayer three times.
Finally, Paul rebounded but the suffering was still there.
However, it was suffering designed for blessing.
Prin-Undeserved suffering or suffering for blessing is not designed to be removed by prayer.
It is administered by God, and what God does not remove He intends for us to bear.
You do not pray for the removal of any suffering, whether for blessing or punitive.
Such a prayer is blasphemous, for without suffering the believer cannot fulfill the PPOG.
Prayer is antithetical to the purpose for suffering for blessing.
We must understand the role and significance of undeserved suffering or suffering for blessing.
You do not pray for the removal of the very means of advancing you to spiritual maturity and glorifying God.
What God does not remove by way of suffering He intends for you to bear.
Prayer is not a problem-solving device in your life.
You can pray for others under suffering, and you should.
However, you don't judge why they're suffering, but you do pray for those who suffer.
This is a privilege of the royal priesthood.
But you never pray for the removal of suffering from yourself or from others.
All suffering is a decision from the sovereignty of God.
The Christian does not pray for strength in time of suffering, because strength in suffering comes in other ways mechanically.
Ignorant and negative believers use prayer for everything, having no doctrine, no application of doctrine, and no spiritual growth.
However, God never puts on you more than you can bear; only you do that under the law of volitional responsibility.
And before God gives suffering for blessing, He always provides the means of handling it.
So, strength in suffering comes from the application of metabolized doctrine.
Prin-Suffering for blessing focuses on God's grace, and turns boasting away from self‑glorification into worship, love, and appreciation for God.
2CO 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
In this passage:
Paul is boasting because this is not punitive preventative suffering, but suffering for blessing through which God is glorified.
Hence,
This is boasting in a good sense, which looks away from Paul and toward the grace provision of God.
It is not boasting to glorify self, but the dynamic mental attitude of the mature believer when going through undeserved suffering.
2CO 12:10 "For this reason I find contentment in weaknesses [preventative suffering], in slanders [people testing], in pressures [thought testing], in persecutions [system testing], in stresses [disaster testing] on behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
Whenever we face suffering for blessing, human solutions cannot solve or help; only divine solutions can.
Therefore, suffering for blessing causes the believer to be weak so that he has to depend on the divine provision for problem solving.
"on behalf of Christ" parallels Phi 1:29, "For to you it has been given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake."